Good Morning Friends,
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance
that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you, who through faith
are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to
be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5)
We have so much for which to give praise to
God. Peter reminds us of just a few of the marvelous blessings we enjoy in
Christ.
God has given us a new birth. A birth is
always something that happens to someone and not something that anyone can do
for themselves! Our parents have the responsibility and receive the credit for
our physical birth. And God has the responsibility for our new birth and He
deserves the credit for it. It is a gift from Him. A new life – and not just a
second life like the first one, the new birth is to a totally new kind of life.
The first life was in the flesh and the new life is in the Spirit!
We have been born into a living hope. It is a
living hope because it is a hope that is absolutely founded in the life of a
Person. Our hope is based solely on Jesus Christ. And it’s a hope that we have
been born into – the new life is not just about what happens here in this
world, there is something more – something so much more! It’s something to look
forward to. It’s something to keep our eyes fixed on in anticipation.
We are awaiting an inheritance. Streets of
gold, gates of pearl – the splendor of heaven is a part of the inheritance we
await. But there’s more – a world not marred by sin. Relationships
characterized by pure love. Unhindered service to the God of all grace in
precisely the ways He designed us to serve. Those are just a sampling of the
inheritance that awaits us. And no one can take it away from us, it will never
wear out or spoil, nothing can be done to diminish it in any way – it will
never perish, spoil or fade.
We are shielded by God’s power. There is a
bubble of protection around us that is as strong as God is strong! There is no
power that can penetrate it and no force that can overcome it.
Those are all blessings that come from God
and are given to us because of our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Recognize them. Enjoy them. Praise God for them.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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